Advocating Awareness on Safe Sleep: Ivy Lim-Esteban

Ivy Lim-Esteban is mom to Jeremy, 4, and Justin, 2. She is also the mompreneur behind Halo Philippines, the Philippine distributor of the award-winning HALO^® SleepSack^®, a wearable blanket for babies.

From corporate career woman to mompreneur
Ivy describes herself as a proud Procter and Gamble alumnus. She got recruited straight out of college, and worked there for 7.5 years; along the way learning discipline, skills, and the passion for excellence which became the foundations on which she built her own company. She left the corporate world to start a family.  

Ivy says her "love affair" with HALO began when her first baby was born. "I discovered that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the use of wearable blankets to prevent Sudden Infant Death (SIDS), and found so many five-star reviews recommending the brand HALO," she shares.

"I soon realized through my own usage that the HALO SleepSack is among the best investments a new mom can make. The product paid for itself two times over, considering how my baby wore it every day," Ivy continues.

"It is made with such quality that my son’s original sleepsack has been handed down to two other babies, but it still does an amazing job!"

Beyond that, Ivy says the peace of mind that HALO brings is "priceless." "I know that my baby is protected by the safest, non-toxic materials as he sleeps. I see my baby getting sounder sleep, which is critical for his physical and mental development," she explains. "I sleep better, too, knowing that he can't kick it off and suffocate or catch cold (and get sick) even if he tosses and turns all night!"

 
Promoting safe sleep practices to help save babies
Ivy shares how HALO inspired her to become a safe sleep advocate. "Sadly, many Filipinos are still unaware of how simple safe sleep practices can protect their babies," she points out. "That is why I made it my mission to spread the safe sleep advocacy and make HALO's quality products more accessible to Filipino parents."

According to Ivy, safe sleep education is actually pushed by the governments in first-world countries. "Despite the lack of government support in our country, I believe that each of us, in our own little ways, can help Filipino babies sleep safer – one nursery at a time!"

[previous|page|next]

At the heart of HALO: Safe babies, Happy families
"HALO is a business with a heart. Everything we do revolves around a heartfelt mission to keep babies sleeping safely," Ivy continues.  

HALO products are validated by third-party certifications, and tested against standards that even exceed U.S. federal regulations. "We refuse to scrimp when it comes to the quality and safety of our products, even if it means paying a premium on manufacturing, because there is no compromise when it comes to your baby’s safety," Ivy emphatically declares. Thus, HALO has been given the seals of leading SIDS and safety organizations, and approved by the medical community.

On whether or not HALO Philippines is reaping success, Ivy says, "it is a new venture, so we still have a long way to go!  Despite its infancy though, the rewards (financial and otherwise) have far exceeded expectations."

"I am overwhelmed by the reception," she gushes. "We have clients who, after trying our products, come back to buy more as gifts for their friends, or volunteer to become resellers / safe sleep advocates, simply because they love our products so much!"  
 

A mom first, a businesswoman second
Despite her busy schedule running HALO Philippines and promoting safe sleep, Ivy always puts her family first. "By choice, I prefer to work from home so that I can be close to my kids," she shares. "This arrangement also allows me to manage the household more efficiently."     

"Truth be told, I find it very challenging to be a mom of two young children, a wife, and a businesswoman at the same time," she confesses. "Of course, my family is my number one priority. But my work and my advocacy are equally important and there are times when I get pulled in two directions that are so important to me," Ivy shares further. "It helps that I am a work-at-home mom. That means I can be there for my boys any time they need me."

"On the flip side, being a work-at-home businesswoman means that my kids can barge into my home office any time," she continues. "I am open to more distractions, so I can't get work done as efficiently as I may want to."

Ivy says she has learned to adapt to all her roles though -- by "multitasking, e.g. I have developed the 'talent' for answering clients' texts while brisk walking on the treadmill."

She is also more purposeful with her time. "I deliberately set aside time for work (usually while the kids are napping), and time for family," she says.

"I also train my team of household staff so that I can delegate housework and prioritize things that I can do best," she adds.  


Advice for aspiring and newbie mompreneurs
"Being a mompreneur means finding the right balance between work and family. Learn to set limits; learn to shift priorities," Ivy advises, "so that you can find fulfilment in work and still let your family feel that they are just as important (if not more) than anything else in your life!"

Learn more about HALO Philippines by visiting their website.